Shaft-packing.



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W. L, R. EMMET.

SHAFT PACKING.

APPLIUATION FILED Nov.'25, 1907.

924,897. Patented June 15, 1909.

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Witnesses: l' Inventor:

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UNITED. STATES PATENT OEEIOE.

WILLIAM R. EMMET, OF- SOIIENEGTADY, NEW YORK, AssIeNOR'TO GENERAL ELECTRIC cOMrAur, A ooR'roRATIoN OENEW YORK.

SHAFT-PACKING.

Ne. 924,897. I

` lSpeczcation' of Letters Patent.V

Patented June 15, 1909.

' Application mea Npvember 26, mov. serial N. 4oa,e1o.

To all wltom'it may cof'wer'ra` r Y Bei known that I, WILLIAM L. R. EMMET,

'a citizen of the United States, residingv at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented 'certain new and useful 'Improvements in Shaft-Packings, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to shaft packin s for turbines, which surround `the mains aft and restrict the passa e of-steam or other elastic fluid from one si e of a diaphragm or partition to they other in a multistage machine. Great diiculty has been experienced in getting a suitable packing'for this purpose, and especially in turbines employed for marine propulsion, which have many stages and long shafts.'l Stated generall ,the packings have either had such sma clearances thatthey seized the shaft when the parts were heated lor distorted due to any cause or else they permitted an excessive amount of motive fluid to escape from one stage to another. Owing tolthe fact that these pa'ckings are inclosed, it is impossible to determine what thel clearance is after use Without taking down the machine,and a clearance through which ,motive Huid could pass. y

My Invention has a packing of improved construction which is free from the objections above noted,and

which `will effectively 'prevent' the free passagey of motive fluid from one stage tothe neXt.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates embodiments of my invention, Figure l shows one of the. diaphragms of a multistagg@J1 turbine of the Curtis type with the pac 'ng mounted fin lace between two wheels, and Figs. 2 an 3 show sections of slight modifications of the packing sleeve.

1 indicates a diaphragm, usuallymade of lcast iron or steel, whose Opposite sides are subjected to different pressures. It is bored centrally to receive the shaft 2, made of forged steel, and the packing-sleeveS, the

latter being made of a suitable metal such as cast' iron, or a com osition as, for example, of co per, zincv an a small amount of lead. I iin 1t desirable, when 'east iron diaphragme vfor its object to provide ploy-east iron packing sleeves, because the ratio ofV expansion and contraction of the `parts willv be the same. In horizontal shaft` I; machines, where the rusting of the parts .is

more of a factor, the packing-sleeve can be made` of` a non-rustingcomposition.. `The ,are used in vertical shaft machines, toemi diaphragm is or may be recessed or shoulf -dered to receive a` flange 4 formed integral with one'end of the annular acking-sleeve.' '5 and 6 Indicate bucket-,Whse s mounted -on the main shaft on opposite sides ofthe diaphragm.

The ange ,of 'the packing-sleeve extends,

ar to the axis of the shaft andperpendicu rests on the shoulder on the. diaphragm. The cylindrical long, and is unyielding with respect to the art( of the sleeve is fairly i flange so that after once being set m position it remains fixed., Extending through the Vflan e is a number of axially extending "and fir y seated stud bolts 7, which r1 idly clamp the packing-sleeve and prevent it Irom `moving bodily in a plane perpendicular to" the shaft or around with it after the nuts are seated. Around the portion of each bolt exr tending through the flange is afspace Sullicient to ermit ofthe sleeve beingv accurately centcre around the shaft before the nuts are screwed into place. The cylindrical part of the sleeve extends parallelto the shaft and is separated from the bore of the diaphragm I .bya substantial space, so that it can expand Y outwardly in case the shaft rubs. A s before pointed out, the flange is rigidly clamped in place; and to prevent the wall of the bore of the sleeve from engaging the shaft when heatedby expanding inwardly, or the shaft from-rubbing it if itis suddenly sprung to one side by a change in operating conditions,

I cut away the metal as shown at 8, leaving a large annular space Whose lenfrth is many times -greaterthanits radial. epth. The

radiahdepth of this space is vmade` greatl enough so that, `no matter'how muchthe shaft and ypacking-sleeve expand,- distort or change in position, they cannot rub at this point. The opposite for free end `of lthe sleeve is provided with aseri'es -of internal `projections 9 with spaces between.,-- The projections can with advanta e bemade -in the form of a screw-thread `o fairl coarse' froxnffreely following the spiral 'groove tween the threads from the region of high .making projections occupying planes erpressure to that of low. They can also be arranged in parallel lanes, as shown in Fig. 1; The faces of the t reads or projections presented to the shaft are made relatively small.

measured axially, so that in event of their engaging with the shaft they will be .worn down by an amount necessary to permit the shaft to freely turn. Byv internally screwthreading the end of the sleeve, instead of pendicular to the axis, an wear on thel s i aft will be Well distributed instead of forming 4parallel grooves' therein. The clearance between the teeth or projections and the shaft is made as small as ossible consistent with .the service to be e ormed, while the space @sup ort the weight of the diaphragm when use in a horizontal machine. and the parts are being assembled. Or these lugs may enter slots formed in the diaphragm or engage projections thereon to prevent the sleeve from turning and thus prevent any -shearing strain on the bolts. Instead of making the thread continuous, it may be made 1n short sections, as shown in Fig. 3.

- I have formed such an arrangement in prac- "tice to effectively prevent the free assa e of steam. Experiencev shows that a s eeve aving-a screw-thread of about four turns per inch. will o erate satisfactorily.

. I t will e observed that the art of the sleeve having the most metal an where it is clamped to its support is free to expand and contract toward and away from the axis with temperature changes without interfering with the shaft, while the free end or part that actually prevents the passa e of motive Huid is separated from the shaft y a small clearance', is free to'expand outwardly, and has a surface of limited area that may be worn ofi` more or less in event of the sleeve is not backed up by the metal of the dia hragm, and that the opposite end, which is ed, is cut away or relieved with respect to the shaft, so that if a sudden change in load moves the shaft to one side it can only touch the points of the screw-thread or projections, and since the surface area presented is very small they will quickly be worn down and the shaft will again runy free.

The clearance' diameters may vary in different stages of the machine. For exam le, in a seven-stage machine the clearances ot may progressively increase toward the lowpressure end from .05 to .20, the same clearance diameters cold varying from .013 to .19" These figures are given as illustrathe partition at one end only and is separated arts rubbing. y It is also to be noted that the ree end of the tions, and not as necessary limitations to show how carefully the yparts must be constructed, and what small clearances are considered asdesirable.- Actual ractice has demonstrated that sucha ac is free from the objections commo y foun instage Eackings, is simple in construction andre- 'able' in operation. r

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principlev of operation of my invention, together with the a paratus which I now consider to represent t e best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the finvention can be carried out b other means.

What I claim as new, and esire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is,-

1. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination of a bored partition which is sub'ected to different pressures on o posite si es, a shaft 'extending through t e bore, and a packing-sleeve whichis rigidly attached to from the shaft-by a small radial clearance at the free end, the said free end being free to expand outwardl while the attached end is separated from t e shaft by `a largeryclearance and is free to expand inwardly without engaging the' shaftf y 2. In an elastic-fl 'd turbine, the combination of a bored partition which is subjected to different pressures on opposite sides, a

ore,

shaft extending through thev a flanged sleeve that surrounds the shaft and is anchored by the flange to the partition at one end only, Vis separated from the shaftk adjacent the plane `of the flange by a' large-clearance and from the shaft at the freeend by a small radial clearance which limits the passage of motive fluid, the said free end having internal grooves and projections which cooperatewith the adjacent cylindrical surface` o the shaft.

3. In combination, a which is subjected to different pressures on opposite sides, a shaft extending through the bore, a acking-sleeve that is located in the bore an surrounds the shaft, av flange on onef end of the sleeve, whichis seated on the partition, bolts for rigidly attachingthe flan e to the partition, the attached -end of said sleeve being separated from the shaft by a large clearance, While the free end is separated from the shaft by a small clearance, and from the bore of the partition by a lar e clearance, projections on the free end of t e sleeve, which form a screw-thread, and

means for preventing the free flow of fluid tlirou h the groove between the threads.

4. n an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination of a bored partition which is subjected f to different pressures on opposite sides, a'l

rigid packing-sleeve comprising a' cylindrical g portion and a vflange perpendicular thereto, 1301- bored c partition 11,0'

the said cylindrical portion being materially smaller in diameter than the bore of the partition, the bore of said sleeve having a or- -tion at its free end which incloses the s aft tion of a bored partition subjected to different pressureson opposite sides, a shaft, a sleeve surrounding the shaft and locatedin the bore and separated therefrom by a space, a means for securing the sleeve to the parti- -tion at one end only, an internal screw- `thread at 011e end of the sleeve with the points of the teeth in close proximity to the shaft, the opposite end of the bore of the sleeve being cut away or relieved with respect to the shaft, and a means for interrupting the continuity of the .groove between said screw-threads.

6. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination of a bored partition subjected to different ressures on opposite sides, a shaft exten lng through the bore, a sleeve located in the bore and surroundin the shaft, which is anchored at one end on y, a ortion of reduced diameter on the free en of the sleeve, the said sleeve being relieved externally at its free end from the Wall of the diaphragm bore and relieved internal] from the shaft at its anchored end, the re 'ef in both cases being greater than the clearance space between the portion of reduced diameter and the shaft.

7. In an elastic fluid turbine, the combination ,of a bored partition which is subjected to different pressures on its opposite s1des, a packing sleeye having a rigid support on the portion of the partition a jacent its bore, a shaft which passes through the sleeve from one side of the partition to the other, the sleeve having a portion connected at one end with said support and extending longitudinally of the shaft, which portion is provided at its outer end With a plurality of spaced internal projections Which are separated from 4 the shaft by a small radial clearance, the interior of the remainder of said longitudinal portion being separated from the shaft by av greaterclearance, and an annular space belng provided about the periphery of said longitudinal portion to permit freedom of expans1on.

8. In an elastic fluid turbine, the combination of a bored partition which is subjected to different pressures'on its opposite sides, a packing sleeve having a rigid support on the portion of the partition adjacent its bore, a shaft extending through the sleeve from one side of the partition to the other, said sleeve having a longitudinal portion connected at one end with said sup ort and separated from the shaft by a sma -radial clearance at its other end, said end Abein free to expand outwardly while the remain er of said longitudinal portion is separated from the shaft by a larger clearance and is free to expand inwardly without engaging the shaft.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day of November, 1907.

WILLIAM L. R. EMMET.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN ORFORD. 

